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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. land — a country
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. staff — employees
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wake — a trail
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. clip — a video
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kick — in football
  22. land — to come down
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com